MEXICO CITY — A former Texas high school football player and petty street dealer who allegedly rose to become one of Mexico’s most savage assassins became the third major drug lord brought down by Mexico in less than a year and could provide intelligence on even bigger kingpins.

Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as “the Barbie” for his fair complexion and green eyes, grinned broadly Tuesday as police described a life of luxury and violence that made a battleground of central Mexico, where he waged a war for control against his slain boss’ brother.

The 37-year-old Valdez faces charges in three U.S. states for trucking in tons of cocaine. As a U.S. citizen living illegally in Mexico, Valdez could be deported to the United States if Mexico agrees, or he could face prosecution in Mexico for drug-related crimes. Mexican authorities say he could be responsible for dozens of murders.

The arrest was portrayed by Mexico’s government as a victory for President Felipe Calderon as he tries to recover public support for his war on organized crime in the face of escalating violence.

U.S. and Mexican officials described Valdez’s arrest Monday as the culmination of a year-long pursuit and stronger intelligence-sharing between the two countries.

Hours after authorities announced the arrest, eight Mexicans died in an attack at a bar in the resort city of Cancún.

Six women and two men died in the attack early Tuesday. Bar employees told police that unidentified men tossed gasoline bombs at the establishment, the Castillo del Mar, in a low-income area far from the city’s tourist zone. The bar offered table dances and other entertainment and had a rough reputation.

As thousands gathered in Denver’s City Park on Monday to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., speakers didn’t mince words: King’s message was not only about love and unity, they said, but it was about fighting for freedom and equality for everyone.

Even as the Denver District Attorney's Office looks into Trammell Crow's and Mortenson's relationship on the Colorado Convention Center expansion, the two companies are still working together on a $196 million Denver Water project.